See Me
by Brooklyn's Miracle
Summary: AU. Post HBP. - "HAGRID!" Ginny screamed, before the beast was upon her, and she hit the ground. There was a flash of light, and Ginny Weasley was gone. It was October the 9th.
1. Prologue

**See Me**

**Prologue**

Ginny finally tore her eyes away from the dark sky, and used every ounce of strength still in her body to drag her torso towards where her ankles were still bound to the base of the tree with several large, tangled knots. Her fingers, tingling from the blood flow returning to them, were too wet with mud to do much of any good at first, and her attempts and cleaning them off on her clothes were unsuccessful. She was, in fact, so thoroughly soaked in the mud that she could not help but feel as though she would be just as dirty beneath her pants.

For a moment, Ginny looked up at the moonless night in an attempt to calm the tears that were threatening to spill over once more, and when she looked back towards the shadowy knots around her ankles, she chastised herself for not thinking earlier to use her wand.

"Are you a witch Ginny Weasley, or not?" she asked herself harshly, and searched the folds of her robes for her wand. When her search failed to be fruitful, she plunged her hands into the muddy puddle that she sat in, muttering "Come on! Oh please, be here" as she reached in all directions as far as she could reach, but still, her wand was nowhere to be found. Ginny used a hand to brush a mud encrusted strand of auburn hair from her eyes, and left a streak across the others already on her defeated face.

"For Merlin's sake!" she found herself screaming in frustration, and the recently threatening tears spilled over, leaving faint rivers in the black on her face. She sat that way for a moment, sniffling, and seething inside at the situation, before righting herself once more to tackle the rats nest of knots at her ankles.

If it had seemed possible, she'd have thought the night had gotten even darker then it had been before, and by the time she freed her ankles from the ropes, she could scarcely tell her own hand as it waved in front of her face. Ginny rubbed her hands, flexing and stretching the raw and bleeding digits, before using the tree as a support to climb slowly to her feet.

Now if only she knew where she was.

Several minutes passed as she stood that way, arms wrapped tightly around the trunk of the tree that had only just relinquished it's control on her, and she strained her ears for any sound that might help her find some way back to the castle, or at least, out of the elements. The wind had picked up, and was lashing the wet strands of her hair across her neck, face, and the exposed part of her chest, leaving stinging red marks and sticking to where they hit. Past the tree, on her right side, she could hear the rustling of leaves in the wind, and the occasional flutter of wings. On her left, there was the crash of waves on rocks, behind her, she could hear nothing, as the wind was viciously attacking from that direction, and ahead of her, only darkness. It was ultimately the thought of walking into the wind that forced her decision to go forward, with the wind at her back, the woods on her right, and whatever form of water on her left.

At first, her movement forward was slow, her hands outstretched and her every step tentatively placed, but when after a few moments nothing unfortunate happened, she found herself moving more quickly, though still blind. Her thoughts drifted to Malfoy, and she felt her face flush inexplicably at the thought of his closeness, before her stomach gave a lurch and she remembered his words.

'How dare he,' Ginny thought to herself. 'Assume that I would be so smitted with him that I would tell somebody that we have something going on between us.' She had neglected to tell even Luna of their meeting in the Owlery, and had not even allowed herself to put the slightest positive thoughts towards her run-in with Malfoy. To think that she might stoop so low as to allow _him_ to touch _her_ without putting up a serious fight was to be completely delusional. She growled in frustration, and clenched her fingers into fists, breathing heavily.

Ginny let her thoughts drift to just before he'd flown away, and the way he'd stared at her, with so much anger and hate radiating through his piercing gaze, and the momentary glimpse of – something – that she'd noticed. "Damn you Malfoy." She cried, hoping that somehow he might hear her, and took another step.

Without warning, her footing gave way and she toppled sideways, having stepped on a wet rock. Ginny was submerged in water up to her waist, its icy tendrils climbing through her clothes to her upper body and weighing her down through her robes as she screamed in shock. Frustration forced another wave of threatening tears and she gave a growl that echoed in the still air.

She did not move. For a few minutes, she sat there, having no energy to lift her bruised and bleeding body from the icy pool. It was only when she began to shiver violently that she knew she needed to move if she wanted to reach her destination – whatever it turned out to be. So Ginny stumbled her way back to her feet, and put her hands on the wet rocks, finding that past the rock was the trees, and she had only two options, to keep traveling, half submerged in ice water, or in the woods.

In the woods an animal cackled, and Ginny's eyes narrowed towards the sounds origin. "Think this is funny, do you?" she snapped. "I'll show you funny you –" Her hand had found the pocket that was devoid of her wand, and her anger deflated instantly. She was distracted though at the flash of a light ahead and slightly to the left. As she stared, she saw it again, but it was no longer a flash. A pinprick of light, unwavering in the darkness could be faintly made out. And Ginny began moving again.

She climbed like a child along the edge of the pool, hand over hand, holding as tightly as she could to whatever she could find to grasp, and dragging her body along after her hands. Ginny fell several times, being submerged over her head twice in her desperate task to reach the light, but refused to think about it any longer. She was wet, she was ice cold and aching into her muscles. It would not do her any good to think of the shape that her fingers were in, or how she looked in the slightest. Or of Malfoy, for whom even the shortest thought about him invoked a vomit-like feeling of hate, anger, and disgust. Because it would do no good for her to think of any of these things, Ginny resolved silently to think only of hand over hand, foot over foot, and the light.

As the night began to be joined by other lights, the stones beneath her feet became shallower and shallower, until Ginny was crawling up through rocks and onto a grassy incline towards the lights. If she was correct, she was peering up at the castle through a fog, and – yes! There was the astronomy tower! Ginny let out a breath that she hadn't known she'd been holding in, and paused, thrilled.

Out of the silence to her right came the pounding of heavy footfalls, and the growl of a large beast coming closer. Her sense of security shattered, short-lived, and Ginny turned her head, seeing the bright lights of what must have been Hagrid's cabin. In front of those lights, growing ever clearer and sharper in form, a dark figure burst through the fog and at her.

"HAGRID!" Ginny screamed, before the beast was upon her, and she hit the ground.

There was a flash of light, and Ginny Weasley was gone.

It was October the 9th.


	2. Chapter 1 Tickling a Dragon

Thank you kindly to those who reviewed.

veronica21 – I did indeed have more chapters, but it was because I dived directly into writing when I was hit by inspiration, rather than thinking out the plot entirely. I removed the story to start from scratch, though I may use parts of what was up before.

**See Me**

**Chapter 1 – Tickling a Dragon**

Ginny Weasley was wrenched violently from her sleep, her large eyes blinking frantically as she looked around the compartment to find the source of the noise that had woken her from her sleep. There had been a scream, she was sure of it, but as the echoes of laughter passing in the hall outside of the door reached her ears, her certainty wavered. Her heart was racing, and as she noticed that, Ginny for a moment struggled to remember what she'd been dreaming about. As sometimes happens, however, she could remember nothing.

Sighing, Ginny relaxed back against the cushion of the seat, and looked for Luna, who had been sitting across from her before she'd fallen asleep, rocked into slumber by the gentle movement of the Hogwarts Express. Her blonde Ravenclaw friend was not in their compartment any longer, but Ginny didn't worry. She picked up Luna's carelessly discarded copy of the Quibbler and began reading, flipping through to look at the pictures when the articles grew boring or too complicated, and smiling to herself each time a phrase reminded her of something Luna had said one time or another.

When she grew hungry, Ginny pulled out the carefully wrapped sandwiches that her mother had packed for her, and nibbled until they were gone. When she needed to use the washroom, she took with her to the compartment her Hogwarts robes and changed.

It was only when she realized that the sky was dark and they'd be pulling into Hogsmeade soon that Ginny began to worry for her friend. She slid the compartment door open and stepped into the hall, before moving towards the back of the train. At first she took her time stopping in at each compartment to say her hellos and ask about the summers of her friends that sat within, but when the only response to her question "Have you seen Luna Lovegood perchance?" was "No", she did away with formalities and began opening each compartment a little faster, until she finally heard the faint sounds of Luna's lofty tones.

There were coming from the last compartment on the train, a compartment that Ginny remembered to usually house Draco Malfoy and his hefty henchmen Crabbe and Goyle. With a faint smile, she felt a surge of hope within her at the thought that Malfoy and his goons might have stayed home from Hogwarts this year, the same way that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had done.

However that hope was short-lived, and as she opened the compartment door, Ginny felt it rush from her body like a deflating balloon.

Luna was in the far corner of the compartment, pressing herself into the cushions as far as she could, with her wide eyes open in an expression of something akin to terror. Her usually pale face was flushed and her clothing, which was normal for somebody of her strong character, was disheveled. Her focus was on the tall blonde man that towered above her quivering form, his wand drawn.

"Expelliarmus!" Ginny cried, not knowing when she'd drawn her own wand, and watched Malfoy's wand shoot into her outstretched hand.

Malfoy whirled to look at her, and Ginny's breath caught in her throat as she looked at him. His face was calm, but menacing, and his jaw and cheek bones seemed more defined than the pointy look they used to carry. But it was his eyes that made her stop. They were cold and hard as ice, seemingly piercing into her soul, while at the same time, shimmering slightly, as though he was laughing at her.

"A look, the littlest weasel, come to save her loony friend." Malfoy drawled.

"What do you think you're doing Malfoy?" Ginny snapped, her cheeks burning. "You're not allowed to go around terrorizing students."

"Who said I was terrorizing anybody?" Malfoy retorted, voice silky as he motioned to Luna. "I was simply asking Loony over here if she's really as good with a _wand_ as Blaise claims she is."

Ginny glanced quickly over towards Luna, who's face was a reflection of the confusion that she felt, and adorned with extra embarrassment. Her eyes landed back on Malfoy, who was smirking, triumphant.

"Blaise Zabini?" she began, eyebrows raised in questioning. "You mean that rather handsome Slytherin boy?" she challenged.

"Although I can think of a more handsome Slytherin, yes, that would be the one. There is only one Blaise at this school, Weasley. You think you'd know that." Malfoy's voice was slow, bored.

"Of course I do, Malfoy." Ginny retorted, patronizingly sweet. "Of course, all the girls at Hogwarts have heard of Blaise, and more importantly, his attempts and _failures_ at using his _wand_."

Malfoy looked at Ginny, raising an eyebrow and moving to speak.

"Now," she stopped him, staring him down with a pointed look. "If you enjoy have a functional _wand_ yourself, I would suggest you leave Luna alone, now, and for good. Now come Luna." Keeping her wand and eyes trained on Malfoy, Ginny edged over to Luna, taking her hand to lead her from the room. They were moving through the corridor to their compartment, feeling the train coming to a slow stop, when a voice behind them called out.

"Weasley!"

Ginny turned, eyes settling on Malfoy, who though seeming a little quieter, still towered over her in a way that made her gut wrench. "What do you want Malfoy?" she snapped.

He stopped, staring at her darkly. "My wand, Weasley. I believe you still have it."

Ginny looked down towards her left had, and saw that she was indeed still carrying the unfamiliar wand. Rather than hand it to him, however, she took it between her two hands and looked right at him.

"A warning, of what will happen to you if you touch my friend again." She quickly snapped the wand in two, and threw it at his feet.

"You bitch!" Malfoy roared, lunging for her. It was only due to the fact that Neville, Dean and Seamus came out of the compartment on their right, that stopped Malfoy from knocking Ginny to the ground, and as it was, his hand connected with the left side of her face with a sharp slap.

As the three Gryffindor boys realized what it was they walked into, the voices rose to shouts, and other students began to exit into the hall, some dragging trunks, and others simply to see what the ruckus was about. Luna and Ginny, however, turned and pushed through the throng of students to collect their belongings. They joined Hannah and Ernie in a carriage up to the castle, and sat silently, occasionally looking at one another.

In the Great Hall, Ginny joined the Gryffindors for the Sorting and dinner, while Luna spent it with her Ravenclaw housemates. Ginny spent the meal trying to dismiss the feeling of Malfoy's glares towards her back, while Luna watched him studiously. When Malfoy noticed her stares, she only looked away for a second, before her eyes were on him, unwavering in their focus. Eventually, he was the one to avert his gaze back to Ginny.

Neville leaned over towards Ginny, and caught her eyes. "Malfoy's done nout but stare at you all dinner. And I saw him slap you earlier." He added softly, before continuing. "Gin, what've you done to piss him off?"

"I haven't done anything Neville," Ginny said gently.

"You sure?" He asked slowly, raising an eyebrow. "You know, I'm not like your brother. I'm not about to freak out and run and tell yer mum if you did do something to Malfoy. In fact, I'd probably just wish that I'd been clever enough to do it first."

"I know you wouldn't tell my mum, Neville." Ginny said with a sigh, dropping her forhead into her hands. "It's nothing, alright? Let's just forget that it even happened. Please?"

Neville stared at her for a moment, quiet, before nodding, and then returned to his food.

Luna made eye contact with Ginny after dinner as they filed out of the Great Hall, and the two girls met outside the painting of Camilla the Creative, a brazen women who was creating rather revealing armor in her depiction. Luna smiled gently at her friend.

"Thanks for earlier Ginny, but you really shouldn't have done that."

"I know." Ginny ran her fingers through her tangled red curls. She looked around them at the corridor, and crossed her arms across her chest.

"He'll tell Sn –" Luna paused, and Ginny grabbed her arm and pulled her into an empty classroom. Luna didn't miss a beat. "He'll tell somebody. The new head of his house. And you'll get in trouble. He'll twist it to make it seem like you've done more than you have."

"Snapes gone, Luna." Ginny said softly.

"It doesn't mean that nobody will believe him."

"No, but I don't care if they do believe him. I won't be here for them to be angry with."

Luna stopped for a second, and moved towards Ginny, her hand outstretched, and an expression of deep concern for her friend. "Ginny, you can't say things like that – I mean, I thought you were doing okay with the breakup?"

"What?" Ginny retorted, thoroughly baffled. "The breakup? Are you talking about Harry?" Luna nodded. "What's that got to do with – Oh."

Ginny felt a few laughs bubble up from between her lips, and she let them go, grasping Luna's arm for support. When she was finished, she composed herself, and hugged Luna. "Luna, I'm not suicidal. Not at all. And especially not because of Harry. He's going to do what he wants to do, and I can't change that. I'm going to leave Hogwarts."

There was a noise from the entrance to the room, and Ginny froze, moving towards the door. She opened it, and searched the abandoned corridor with her eyes, finding no signs of life, before finally closing the door. Returning to her blonde friend, Ginny took Luna's hands in hers, and smiled gently at her.

"What I'm saying," she began, "Is, if Harry or Hermione or Ron, any of them, finally respond to or get one of my letters, I'm hoping they tell me where they are so that I can leave, so I can join them or help them, or at least do _something_ rather than sit here uselessly."

"But you _are_ doing something!" Luna insisted softly.

Ginny threw her hands into the air. "What? What am I doing!" she exclaimed.

"You're learning how to protect yourself, how to defend yourself so that when the real battle is here, you won't be defenseless. You'll be able to fight." Luna reasoned, her voice never wavering or raising to anything even resembling a shout.

"The real battle?" Her face was blank, her voice low and menacing. "Seriously Luna, the _real_ battle?" before she finally snapped. "The real battle is happening now, all around us, in everybody. And I won't stand by and wait for somebody to make a battle cry and let the people I love be killed. I'm going to do something about it before it comes to that."

In the hallway, an extendable ear stretched from the base of the door, along the floor, into an alcove next to a suit of armor. Colin Creevey, eyes wide and thoughts focused on the ear pressed against the side of his head, didn't notice the figure approaching his hiding place until a fist intruded his space. The fist grabbed the scruff at the base of his throat and dragged him out into the open corridor, before smashing him hard against the wall.

"What's going on Creevey?" a low voice drawled into his ear. Draco Malfoy stood, still a good half head taller than the Gryffindor prefect, and gave him a pointed look. "Are we spying on the littlest Weasel and her loony friend?"

Colin pressed his lips together and shook his head from side to side.

Malfoy continued, unfazed. "Don't worry, Creevey." He said, smirking. "I won't tell the Weaslette about your plans to woo her, and your desperate attempts to get involved in her life."

Colin started. "I'm not – I – Harry –" before abruptly shutting up. That was apparently what Malfoy had been looking for his eyes narrowed.

"Spying for Potter then, Creevey?" Malfoy sneered, menacing. "I see that Wonder Boy really has become desperate if he's recruiting the likes of _you_ to his cause. But why does he have you spying on the littlest Weasel brat?"

Colin turned his his head to the side to look away from Malfoy, who took his insolence as an opportunity to cause the Gryffindor further discomfort. He pressed his wand in to Colin's turned cheek, forcing his face into the stone wall behind him, and brought his mouth close to his ear.

"Creevey – you've got a younger brother, haven't you? A fifth year, I believe. Am I wrong? Dorky little thing, isn't he – and small too, no challenge in a fight."

Colin's eyes widened and he tried to face Malfoy, who only slammed him harder against the wall in response before continuing. "We wouldn't want something – unfortunate – to happen to poor Dennis, would we?" Colin was silent.

"You're going to tell me what Potter wants you to do, and why he's spying on the Weasel. And you're going to tell me whatever you overheard the brat talking about. For the safety of your family. Got it Creevey?"

For a moment Colin was still and silent, but he finally opened his mouth and whispered, "Never. We're not afraid of you Malfoy."

Malfoy's face came alive with a cold fury, and Colin closed his eyes, fearful for what might be headed his way. But there was a loud creek, and the door next to them opened. Malfoy pulled quickly back from Colin and ducked into the alcove behind the armor, just as Ginny and Luna came into sight.

Ginny immediately noticed Colin, and rushed over, voice thick with worry, for Colin's face was pale and his breathing labored. "Colin, are you all right?"

Colin opened his eyes, looking at her in disbelief, and looked around her to where Luna looked on with concern. Malfoy was not in sight, but he knew that he had to be nearby. Colin straightened, brushed himself off, and nodded. "I—I'm fine. Thanks Gin." And promptly headed down the hall at a brisk pace.

"That was strange." Luna commented, head slightly tilted as she watched the boy disappear around a corner.

Ginny laughed at her friends words, although the sound of it was unnatural, forced. She looked around the corridor once, slowly, before turning with her blonde friend and heading towards the stairs.


	3. Chapter 2  Gone

**See Me**

**Chapter 2 – Gone**

In the great hall the next morning, Ginny slipped onto the bench next to Neville, who had a piece of toast in one hand and his schedule in the other. The flurry of wings above signaled the arrival of the first owl post of the week, and she took notice of a thin parcel that was dropped off in front of Malfoy at the Slytherin table. Ginny nibbled on a piece of toast as the Slytherin prefect withdrew a wand, the replacement, she realized, for the one she'd broken yesterday.

Ginny thanked Professor McGonagall when she was handed her own timetable, and then turned to face Neville to ask about his schedule for the semester. It was at this moment that she realized he was focused on neither his toast nor the parchment in his hand, but rather at the entrance, where Colin Creevey stood, searching the room.

She, along with several other students who'd noticed Colin, watched as his eyes found Professor McGonagall, and he headed for her, face pale, eyes wide, and his clothes in total disarray.

"Professor!" Colin called, and McGonagall looked up, face concerned at the state of her student.

"Mr. Creevey." She nodded when he reached her. "Is everything alright?"

"No – Professor, it's Dennis. He never made it back to the dorm last night. And nobody's seen him."

If the large part of the students within hearing weren't already listening, they were now, as more and more people realized the implications of his words and tuned in for more information. The Great Hall was well on its way to being silent, when McGonagall handed the pile of timetables to Ginny to hand out.

"I believe, Mr. Creevey, that you should follow me this way please." The two of them strode quickly from the room, black robes billowing out behind them.

As the doors to the hall closed, Ginny rose and began to hand out the parchments in her arms. A slow din of voices crept back into the room, but Ginny could think of nothing but Colin's face the evening before when she and Luna had found him in the hall.

* * *

><p>Colin stood outside of the Potions classroom, fiddling unconsciously with his wand and his robes. It was a few moments before the sound of chairs being pushed back came from within the classroom, and when they did, Colin backed into the shadows the best that he could, heart pumping furiously in his chest.<p>

Slytherin students filed from the room in small groups and singles, but the blond head that Colin was hoping to see did not leave. When the classroom was silent, Colin stuck his head inside, only to see an empty classroom. He must have missed Malfoy.

Colin turned around, disappointed, and ran directly into the Slytherin's hard body.

"Creevey." He drawled, looking bored. "I'll assume you're looking for me?"

"Yes." Colin said, taking a deep breath, and trying to stand up straight.

"Come to accept my offer?"

"Yes. I'll tell you everything." There was a moment of silence, until Colin realized that Malfoy was watching him expectantly. He started. "Oh, right. Well, Harry wants me to keep an eye on Ginny. Just so she doesn't get hurt or anything. And she's leaving Hogwarts. Or, well she wants to, to go and help fight."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow, silent.

Colin bit his lip, clenching his hands and backed up. "Well, uh, that's it."

"Fine." Malfoy turned his back, and began to walk away, before pausing. "I won't touch your brother, just keep me informed." He drawled without turning back.

Colin's eyes flashed angrily and he ran after him, grabbing Malfoy's shoulder and spinning him around. "Is that some kind of a sick joke? I want my brother back."

At that moment, Ginny came around the corner of the dungeon, shoving a textbook into her book bag and not looking up until she realized she'd stumbled upon something. She stopped in her tracks, looking between the two silently.

Malfoy didn't give her so much as a glance before glaring at Colin. "Then go get him. I don't know where he is." He wrenched his shoulder away, and dusted it off disgusted. "And Creevey – never touch me again." Malfoy turned his back and swiftly strode away and out of sight.

When Malfoy was surely gone, Ginny moved slowly towards Colin, who was still staring at the place the blonde Slytherin had stood, and put her hand gently on his shoulder. "Colin?" she whispered softly, waiting until he'd turned to face her. "What's going on?"

His gaze was downcast, but he slowly brought his eyes to meet her concerned look with one of hopelessness. "It's Dennis. He's gone."

* * *

><p>That evening at dinner, Professor McGonagall spoke with the rest of the students to inform them of the news of Dennis Creevey's disappearance. Before giving any information, she shared with the students various changes of rules that were being implemented, including a nightly attendance at 7:30, with the houses locked down until the next morning. She put special emphasis on the severe punishment of anybody not abiding by them. McGonagall then mentioned that Dennis had not made it to his common room the night before, but mentioned that he was to have come by Floo. All the students who'd grown up in the wizarding world were thus somewhat appeased, knowing that the Floo network had been having problems all summer, rumored to be because of Voldemort's return, and so might have simply sent him to the wrong location, such as "All-Sports Store for Spell Games and Muggle Mimicry".<p>

Ginny, however, knew thanks to Colin that the lie about the Floo network was only to stop the students from panicking. In reality, their parents had escorted them personally to the school a day early, as they were expected in Germany for work (Colin didn't specify what.) Dennis had gone out for a walk before the other students were expected to arrive, and hadn't been seen or heard from since from anybody. Why he'd been talking to Malfoy, Ginny didn't know, and Colin had blatantly ignored her every time she'd mentioned the Slytherin's name. She felt sure that he had to be involved, not only with Dennis' disappearance, but also with Colin's face the evening before.

As the din of dinner conversation continued on around her, Ginny stared absently into her plate of kippers and mash, and pushed the remnants around on her plate rather than eating it. It was times like this that she wished Harry, Ron, or at the very least, Hermione, were still around. She'd never been much good at mysteries, but this felt like one. It would help at the very least to have somebody to talk to.

At that very moment, Neville accidentally knocked over his goblet of pumpkin juice, and it splashed all over her plate and lap. For the slightest of moments, Ginny considered telling Neville of her suspicions, before deciding just to take the opportunity to escape, and excused herself to go change out of her wet clothes.

* * *

><p>Once back in the common room, the need to talk overwhelmed her, and after changing, she pulled out some parchment and a quill and found a seat next to the fire, before setting to work on a letter.<p>

_Dear Bill,_

_I know that without a doubt, word of Dennis Creevey's disappearance has reached you, and if it hasn't, I'm sure Mum will send word soon. I doubt it has made the Daily Prophet, but if it has, please send me a clipping. I know that the rumors will start soon that he's wandered into the forest, or fallen into the lake, or something else dumb, but I feel like there's more to it then anything like that._

_I'm sure you're wondering why I'm writing to you about this, but I needed to talk to somebody, and Mum would only worry if she knew that I had other suspicions and concerns about Hogwarts right now. See, Bill, I feel like Draco Malfoy is involved. I've no proof of anything, so don't go calling the Aurors or anything, but trust me. I've just got a feeling. I ran into Colin last night, and he seemed rather scared and upset about something, and then today I found him talking to Malfoy in the dungeons, looking wildly upset, before Malfoy said he "didn't know where he" was. I feel like they were talking about Dennis, in fact I'm almost positive about. _

_I know that this sounds like a whole lot of fluff and nonsense, but something tells me it's all connected._

_Professor McGonagall doesn't think anybody is safe, so she's started implementing new rules. We aren't allowed to go anywhere without letting a prefect or professor know, and if it's possible, we're to take one with us. We also have to be in the common room by 7:30 every night. How are we supposed to carry this on for very long? I'm sure that after only a few short days patience and tolerance will be wearing thin. This just won't last. _

_Have you heard from Ron, Hermione, or Harry? I've sent them letters but not received any responses, and I really need to talk to them. Let me know if you hear anything. Stay safe._

_Love, _

_Ginny_

Running her slim fingers through her tangled hair, Ginny Weasley straightened up in her seat, stretching the muscles that had grown stiff in the position she'd been writing in. She looked around the Gryffindor common room, her warm eyes surveying students that had trickled in following dinner.

The room was tense and quiet. By the fire, Seamus and Dean were trying to play a game of chess, though they'd been forced to ask their pieces to play quietly so as not to disturb the studying students around them. Parvati was in an armchair nearby, twirling a strand of hair around one finger while she attempted (and failed) to appear interested in the assigned reading for her Muggle Studies class.

Colin, who's face seemed pale in comparison to the bags that were forming beneath his eyes, was leaning over the shoulder of Vicky Frobisher and Andrew Kirke, two fifth years, and pointing at something on a star chart that was laid out on the table before them. He looked up suddenly, eyes catching Ginny's gaze, and he stared back at her for a moment, silent, before looking away without so much as a forced smile.

Ginny swallowed back her worry for her friend, knowing how much he was trying to act normal, while his day had undoubtedly been filled with thoughts of his missing brother. His usual smile was gone, and his eyes were dull and disinterested. When she saw Colin, Vicky and Andrew rise as though to leave, she climbed quickly to her feet, and crossed the room quietly towards him, putting her hand on his shoulder to draw his attention.

He looked at her again, his gaze gentler this time. "What is it Ginny?"

"Sorry Colin –" she began, "But I wanted to post this letter to my brother tonight and –"

Colin shook his head slowly. "I can't come with you Ginny. I need go to the library and get back before attendance in fifteen minutes, and the Owlery is in the complete opposite direction. Can you wait until morning? Or ask another prefect?"

For a moment Ginny paused, biting back a comment about how if Colin needed to use the library, he should have done so when escorting Natalie McDonald there right after dinner, but instead she swallowed it. "Can I just run up to the Owlery myself? I'll be fast, and nobody will know."

"No, Gin. I –"

"I'll ask Lavender to come with me." She pleaded, eyes wide. "I just need my brother to send me my potions textbook. I left it at his flat when I stayed this summer, and I'm afraid I'll upset the new potions master if I don't have it in class tomorrow," she lied.

Colin looked as though he wanted to say something, but he closed his mouth, and sighed, too tired to put up much of a fight. "Fine. Just hurry up. And don't get caught."

Ginny didn't need to be told twice. She ran up to the Seventh year girls' dorm, and knocked, only to enter and find Lavender absent. A clock next to the bed read 7:17, and Ginny stared for a moment, before turning on her heel, down the stairs, and out the portrait hole to the corridor. Hoping that Colin hadn't noticed her leave unaccompanied, Ginny ran most of the way to the Owlery.

In the circular room, Ginny peered upwards in search of Pig, before finally settling on a school owl from a peg near her. She tied her letter firmly to the leg, blew a kiss towards it, and then watched the owl fly out the window and into the sky.

As long as the flying form was distinguishable against the sunset backdrop, Ginny watched, willing the bird to make a quick and safe flight, and even more, for her brother to grace her with a genuine reply.

"Reminding Potter of your undying love?"

Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath at the sound of the icy drawl from behind her, but did not turn around. "No, Malfoy, I wasn't."

"Good." The cold voice continued. "I can't see why he would accept the offer of even so much as friendship from a _Weasley_, though I can tell for myself that he's never been good at telling for himself the wrong sort."

"I heard that he turned your proposition down before the Sorting your first year, Malfoy. So I'm rather confident that he knows well enough."

Ginny turned to look at Malfoy in the dim light, and forced herself to bite back a gasp. The tall boy's slim form was partially illuminated by the light from the hall behind him, and his silver-blonde hair reflected the same light, as well as that from the moon outside. However, the shadows that were thrown left him looking haggard and harsh. His eyes were in small circles of shadow, leaving her guessing at where he was looking at, and his furrowed brow seemed to be a deep indent of anger, hate, or something far worse.

"Didn't your mother tell you it isn't polite to stare?" he snapped, following a moment of silence.

Shocked by his outburst, Ginny was quiet just a moment too long, and so Malfoy continued, his irritation fading from his voice. "I mean, its no surprise that you can't take your eyes off of me, I am quite visually appealing, but you could at least try to be discreet about your jealousy. It isn't proper."

Ginny's cheeks flooded with warmth at the mention of her mother, and darkened at his comment about his looks. She then set her jaw, straightening up to her full height (which wasn't much taller than before), and gave him a sharp look. "Didn't your mother teach you not to assume people are staring at you because you're pretty?"

"Pretty?" he began, seeming only slightly perturbed, but Ginny continued.

"You ought to clarify next time before you make comments about things you don't understand. I was simply trying to distinguish whether I was looking at a mutant ferret, the self-centered and delusional Draco Malfoy," she spat, and paused for a moment, eyes flashing dangerously. "Or the most loathsome and vile scum to ever grace the earth, your father."

At the look in his eyes, the pleasure Ginny had in releasing her anger vanished quickly, and her right hand reached for the wand where it should have been at her right hip. It was not there. She had barely registered the thought when he was upon her, slamming her into the wall of the Owlery, and had his wand pressed into the hollow at the base of her throat.

"How dare you insult my father in front of me, you muggle-loving blood traitor," he hissed, and she felt the warmth of his breath on her cheek. The only features she could make out on his face were his eyes, flashing in the faint moonlight, as his proximity blocked out all other light.

For a moment, Ginny forgot the stones digging into her shoulders from the wall. She forgot the smell of owl droppings, the sound of fluttering wings, and the fact that it was Draco Malfoy holding her where she was. Instead, for a few brief seconds, she could focus only on his eyes. They were like snow globes, a black pupil, the blue sky so pale behind it, and flecks of silver snow falling around it. In his right eye, even stranger, were tiny spots of gold.

Ginny realized she was breathing hard.

"Is something the matter, Weasley?" Draco sneered, his voice suddenly too soft for her liking. He'd seen her look change, and relished now in the fear that had replaced the curiosity of earlier. "You seem to be out of breath –" he gave a false gasp of understanding, and pressed his body closer against her chest. "It's been a while, for you, hasn't it. Too long since Potter was close enough to warm you, to touch you, make you feel – what? Nothing?"

As her breathing grew faster and more heavy, she realized that Malfoy's wand had moved from beneath her chin, and his one hand was now brushing down her shoulder as he spoke, to her back, to her waist, ever so slowly. His eyes were glittering, hard, and daring. Malfoy's mouth was parted, and he licked his lips consciously, looking as though he were about to eat her.

"Potter couldn't be very good if you're reacting just to this. You know Weasley," he began, his voice a whisper as he moved his mouth down towards her ear. "You ought to find yourself a real man. Someone who can make you sigh –" he pulled her lower back towards him "—someone who can make you gasp –" he nipped her ear then, and she inhaled sharply. "—Someone who will make you want to scream –" he drew his tongue down her neck to her collarbone, and closed his teeth on the skin there. Ginny gasped, and squirmed, attempting to separate herself from his body, but succeeding only in rubbing against him in a way that caused her face to flush instantly.

"Perhaps," he whispered, and his lips were suddenly next to her ear again. "Perhaps, you need somebody like – _me_."

Ginny's eyes brightened, furious. "You're pathetic." She spat, and he pulled his face back from hers. "So desperate for the touch of a woman that you'll force yourself on anybody you can get alone. Luna first, or maybe not first, but now me? Were all the rumors of your affairs with Pansy fabricated by yourself? Having trouble getting any? Or –" she paused, basking in the power her next words held. "Are you having trouble with the performance of your _wand?_"

"Shut your mouth, you filthy bint." He snapped. "Wouldn't want your mother to know that you're planning on running away to go elope with Potter and turn out more ugly ginger mudblood-loving abominations."

Ginny finally lashed out, pressing her hands hard against his chest and forcing him away from her. She couldn't tell if she'd used magic, but he flew away from her so fast, and was clutching his chest so hard, that as she ran, she couldn't help but wonder. She was already breathing hard, but whether it was due to his words, or his earlier actions, she couldn't tell. The one time that she looked back at him, to ensure he was not following, he was supporting himself on the wall, watching her, and panting. In his right hand was his wand, and his left, tangled in the fabric of his shirt as though to stop the pain. And his eyes, locked on her.

* * *

><p>Draco Malfoy was in pain. The burning in his chest had disappeared completely when she'd pressed her hands against it, and when she'd pulled away, had returned with a fiery vengeance. He watched her until she disappeared from sight, and tried to regain control over the consuming stabs, even reaching into the pocket of his cloak to withdraw a vial, which he drank in a single swallow before discarding.<p>

When he at last was able to move without fear of his knees buckling, he moved to the wall of owls, and called his black owl to him, tied a letter to his leg, and sent it on its way. Malfoy closed the door to the Owlery behind him, and went down the hall towards the dungeons. Before he turned the corner, he stopped for a fraction of a second, and stared at the place where the youngest Weasley had been before fading from his sight, then shook his head, and went on his way.


	4. Chapter 3  The Letter

**See Me**

**Chapter 3 – The Letter**

Luna closed the door of the Owlery behind her, gliding ghost-like through the halls after Malfoy's path. She couldn't help the nerves that were flitting through her stomach at the moment, and even less could she stop replaying the way Malfoy had stared after Ginny when she'd ran. Something was going on, undoubtedly with Malfoy. And Ginny, well, she was just strange, but it was something that Luna had grown to enjoy, and even rely on at times for comedic relief.

She turned the bend in the corridor, and crashed into the hard chest of somebody, and looked up – way up – into the warm brown eyes of none other than Blaise Zabini. When he saw who had crashed into him, the skin of his face darkened noticeably, and he backed up, giving her space. Neither of them spoke.

Luna stared him in the eyes, watching as his dark orbs perused her figure down to the floor, and then returned up again to her face. Blaise looked at her, silent, and for a moment they stared at each other.

Finally, Luna gave a loud cry of exasperation and whirled away from him, marching down the hall away from him. Blaise watched her go for a moment, confusion etched into the lines of his face, and then followed her, running to catch up to her.

"Where's the fire, Lovegood?" he asked, teasing as he looked towards her.

In response, Luna continued walking away, speeding up and moving to the right side of the hall. At risk of crashing into the wall, Blaise was forced to fall back, but a look of determination was taking over his face, and he ran up to her other side.

"Are you afraid of me?" he taunted, smirking down at her tiny form.

Luna sped up again, and veered towards him. Ready for her, he backed off and came up on her other side again. However, as they continued speeding down the hall, he noticed the upcoming door, and began to herd her to her side of the hallway. Just as the open doorway was parallel to them, he gave her a bump on the hip with his body, and she was flung into the room. Blaise closed the door, and looked around, realizing that they were in what had to be an unused office, as the small room was devoid of anything but a dusty looking desk, and a bookshelf with a chipped mug on it.

In front of Blaise, her hands hanging limply at her sides, Luna stared back at the seventh year Slytherin boy before her. Her pale eyes were flashing at him, and her cheeks were flushed from their little chase. The long tresses of blonde hair that framed her fair face were wild, and had she been wearing white, Blaise would've been sure that he was looking upon an angel; A furious angel, but an angel nonetheless.

"You seem afraid of me, Lovegood." He said softly, his voice low. Having heard Malfoy speak to dozens of girls during their knowing each other, Blaise had picked up on a few of his devices for how to speak with them. "Are you afraid?"

Luna stared at him, lips still pursed together. And what lovely lips, Blaise couldn't help but think.

"Do I worry you?" he began, and took a step forward, and another with the next question. "Do I intimidate you?"

Luna's soft voice echoed eerily around the empty room, "Intimidate me? Size means nothing. Anyone who knows anything would know that the Jarvey is one of the most dangerous creatures in the world, and it's only twelve inches tall. So your size does not intimidate me. Rather, you anger me."

Looking slightly taken aback, Blaise's mouth fell slightly open. "I anger you?" he repeated.

"Do not deny Mr. Zabini that you spoke falsely about me." Luna's voice dropped to imitate his low pitch, and the slow way that he had spoken to her at first.

For a moment, Blaise's composure wavered. "Falsely?"

"According to one Draco Malfoy, I am notoriously talented at handling your _wand._" Luna carefully watched Blaise's face, noting as it fell slightly. "Is this why you cornered me in here? So that you could reap the benefits of my _wand_ talents?" Though her voice was soft and musical, the anger was evident in the dissonant tones she as creating.

"Listen, Luna..." Blaise took another two steps towards her, until she'd backed up against the desk and he was only a foot in front of her. "You have to understand –"

"No, you listen, and understand me; don't use my name like you know me. You don't know me. And don't tell people that anything has happened between us. Because you and I both know that it hasn't, and it won't."

Blaise's face went void of emotion, and he nodded. Luna sidestepped him and moved to get around him. Just before she stepped through the door, he reached out and caught hold of her hand to swing her around to face him.

"I'm sorry." He said, his voice gentle, but genuine.

Surprised, Luna stared at him for a moment, before wordlessly turning, and leaving him there.

That evening, even as the students in the Ravenclaw had mostly trickled of to bed, Luna sat on her bed with the curtains drawn, a pile of crinkled parchment scattered around her. She was bent over her current attempt at the letter she was writing, the glow from her wand casting strange shadows around her. Finally, the sound of her quill scratching on the parchment came to a halt. Luna looked down at the unsigned letter before her, and then folded and sealed it with an air of finality.

She took a deep breath, and ran up to the Owlery, where she quickly selected a school owl, posted her letter, and watched it fly away before returning to the Ravenclaw common room, a barely noticeable smile on her face.


End file.
